Akiri's Board of Directors

Douglass Given, MD, PhD | Chairman of the Board

An internist and infectious diseases doctor by background, Doug has been a global corporate and operating executive at Lilly, Monsanto, Schering Plough and Mallinckrodt, a serial entrepreneur, and a venture capitalist. He led five biotech companies as CEO, including Progenitor (NASDAQ:PGEN), NeoRx (NASDAQ:NERX), Via Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VIAP), Vivaldi Biosciences Inc. and Mercator Genetics Inc. Doug is Managing Partner at Health2047 Capital Partners. Doug served as Health2047 Inc.’s Chief Executive from its founding in August of 2015 until January 2018. Previously, he spent more than a decade in venture capital as an Investment Partner and General Partner at life sciences investor Bay City Capital LLC through five sequential life sciences general funds and two sector-specific funds; he was associated with the partnership from 1999-2015. An experienced board member, Doug currently serves as a Director at Health2047 Inc. and board Chair at both Akiri Inc. and Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. He recently served as board Chair and CEO at Vivaldi Biosciences Inc. He serves on advisory boards at the University of Chicago Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Stanford Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health, and The Houston Methodist Research Institute. Doug received MD and PhD (Virology) degrees from the University of Chicago, an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, was a Clinical and Research Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and an Attending Physician and professor at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Dr. James Madara | Director

Dr. James “Jim” Madara is the CEO of the American Medical Association (AMA), the premiere national organization dedicated to empowering physicians and shaping a healthier future for the nation. As a Director, Jim brings to Akiri the valuable experience he’s gained addressing strategic, operational and financial challenges at both medical and biosciences organizations. An accomplished academic medical center physician, medical scientist, and administrative leader, Jim is passionate about creating a healthcare system that delivers better outcomes for all. Prior to joining the AMA, he spent over seven years at the University of Chicago, serving as CEO of the medical center and dean of the Biological Sciences Division and Pritzker School of Medicine, a $1.6B unit which included the medical school, biological sciences, hospitals and clinics. During his tenure, the medical school ranking rose from 22nd to 13th, student selectivity rose from 43rd to 3rd nationally, a $1.5B capital renewal of biomedicine and health was financed and enacted, and the unit delivered 5-7% operating income even as investment in R&D increased by over 300%. Jim also successfully worked to bring biomedical research, teaching and clinical activities together and forged new affiliations with community hospitals, teaching hospital systems, community care centers, and national research organizations. Previously, Jim served as Timmie Professor and chair of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University, and professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. He received a B.A. from Juniata College, an MD from Hahnemann Medical School, and an honorary MA from Harvard University.

Ray Bingham, PhD | Director

Ray is the Co-Founder and Founding Partner at Canyon Bridge Capital Partners, Inc. His distinguished career spans over 35 years, working with businesses in high tech, chemical engineering and hospitality real estate development. Ray’s rich background in these areas includes accomplishments in mergers and acquisitions, global trade and venture capital. Previously, he served as a Strategic Advisor of EPIC Ventures, where he led investment activities in the Communications and Electronics sector. Ray also led investment activities at General Atlantic, co-heading the company’s Palo Alto office, as well as serving as the company’s Managing Director from 2005-2009. Prior to that, Ray held the title of director with numerous businesses, including Oracle, Cypress Semiconductor, Freescale Semiconductor, and Onyx Software. He earned a BS in Economics from Weber State University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Weber State University.